Business & Tech

Katz Club Diner Brings Fresh, Homestyle Comfort Food To Cleveland Heights

Cleveland Heights Chef Doug Katz recently opened Katz Club Diner in the Lee Road diner cars

Local Chef Doug Katz has opened his new high-end diner in Cleveland Heights.

After a soft opening last week, Katz Club Diner officially opened for business this week in the old diner cars at 1975 Lee Road.

Katz, who also runs Fire in Shaker Heights and Provenance at the Cleveland Art Museum, plans to feature made-from-scratch comfort food using local ingredients.

"It's an opportunity for Doug to feature more home-cooked meals, the stuff he grew up on," said Emily Richardson, Katz's assistant. "The food will have the scrutiny of a fine-dining restaurant but based on comfort foods."
So eggs, pancakes, corn beef hash and more will be on the all-day breakfast menu. Dinner foods include burgers, sandwiches, meatloaf and more.

Click the PDFs attached to the article to see the full menu.

The diner was made possible from a $200,000 loan from the city. The Katz Club marks the latest attempt to turn the diner cars, brought to town by Big Fun owner Steve Presser, into a viable business.

The previous attempt, Favor Bistro, closed last May.

The restaurant will exist in one of the diner cars. The other will be a 1920s-style speakeasy bar that looks the part situated in the other diner car. Bar patrons will even have to call the bartender from an old-fashioned phone outside to get in.

Between the cars will be a pastry counter that will serve home-made treats and coffee.
 
Richardson said Katz approaches the diner like he's cooking for his friends.

"We're a diner, but we're a different kind of diner," she said.


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